The Greatest Reward
by Wolfsong's Rebel
Summary: Sequel to "Treasures Untold". A big bang, a gun shot, people crying...read to find out. (bad summary)


The Greatest Reward  
  
This is Wolfsong again. I put out a story called 'Treasures Untold' a while back and said I wanted to write a sequel when I had time. Well, here it is.  
  
Disclaimer: the usual. Don't own not mine.  
  
Summary: Sydney and Nigel head to Dallas to help construction workers piece together a puzzle.  
  
Note: I didn't put what Indian tribe it is or what exactly is wrong with Nigel. I don't know anything about medicine. And yes this is deals with Indians again, but it's mostly about s/n.  
  
Two weeks had passed. The headdress was safely put in exhibit in Canada. Carol had been given the much needed credit she had been working so hard on for so long. Sydney and Nigel had also received some of the credits they needed to their work. All was good for everyone. Everyone except...Nigel.  
  
Since they had returned from Canada, he had started feeling worse. Now he hardly ever sleep. Always up running around. Always finding something to keep himself busy whether it was working on his computer, running errands for Sydney, or just running in the park. Though he had all this energy, once he stopped he was whipped.  
  
At work, it seemed like to Sydney and Karen, that Nigel was at the best he had ever been. Neither of them knew just how awful he felt. He hid the pain and tiredness so well behind his mask of energy. Closing in on three weeks after the dig, and having known to an extent how he felt before they left, Sydney was starting to grow worried. She decided that when he returned from her last request that he so gratefully accepted that she would ask him to talk to her.  
  
He returned just as spry as ever. He laid the requested materiels down on Karen's desk, walked to his desk and grabbed up his date book. Noticing he had returned, Sydney edged her head out of the door and called to him.  
  
"Hey, Nigel, can I see you a minute?"  
  
"Sure, Syd," he answered smiling brightly. He laid the book back in its place and walked into her office. "What did you want?"  
  
"Nigel, it's been almost three weeks since we found the headdress."  
  
"I know, Syd. It seems like forever ago."  
  
"True. Before we left you weren't feeling so good and when we were there I noticed you still feelin' poorly..."  
  
"You never said anything." he mentioned cutting her off. "I knew how you would react. I thought it best not to stress you out any more."  
  
"I'm fine now."  
  
"That's what's worrying me. You have all this energy. You're always running around. Whoever needs a errand run, you do it."  
  
"So!" he said shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"So? What's up? Where did you get this burst of energy? How long is it going to last?"  
  
"Syd, it's no big deal! When we got back, I just had more energy!" he yelled feeling interrogated.  
  
"Nigel, I'm worried about you. You're not taking any..."  
  
"Drugs?! Syd...!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I have to ask. I never thought you would. I'm just really worried. It's not a bad thing that you have so much energy. We've gotten a lot done. Just talk to me. Tell me what's going on." she pleaded.  
  
"It's nothing, Syd. Really. I'm handling it."  
  
"Still. It might not be my business, but you're my closest and truest friend. If there is something bad going on with you, I want to help if I can."  
  
"I hear you, Syd. It's just...I...haven't..." he slowly said, somewhat scared how to say it, "been sleeping."  
  
"For how long? A couple days?"  
  
"No. Since the night before we left."  
  
"I thought you slept at the camp."  
  
"Four and a half hours. That's all I've had since."  
  
"For three weeks all you've had was four hours of sleep?! Nigel! You need to see a doctor."  
  
"Sydney," he said walking over to where she was now standing in front of her desk and put his hands on her shoulders, "I'm doing alright. Really. It's nice that you care."  
  
"I do more than care. What do you do when you're not sleeping?" she asked more worried than ever.  
  
"Anything. I've been doing a lot of running at the park. Some weight training at the gym. Just whatever I can do to stay active."  
  
"What about when you're not active? How do you feel then?"  
  
"Whenever I slow down, I feel more exhausted. I'm more tired and grumpy. Just real agitated like." he explained.  
  
"Nigel, that can't be good on your system. You need to sleep." she said the concern showing through more for him as something other than just her truest friend.  
  
"Syd, I'm going to be alright. I've got you to look out after me."  
  
"Yeah." she said laughing for the first time since they had started talking. "Someone has to take care of Nigel Baily."  
  
"Well, Syd, it's late. We'd best be gettin' home."  
  
"See you in the morning, Nigel." she closed the door hugging him on the way out.  
  
"Bright and early. Night, Sydney!" he called after her.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
The next morning, Sydney arrived before anyone else. She wanted to have some private time to check the Internet for reasons why Nigel couldn't sleep. She was just about to finish reading a paragraph talking about sleeping disorders when her phone rang and startled her.  
  
"Hello!"  
  
"Yes, is Professor Fox there?" came a kind, soft voice from the other end.  
  
"Speaking. Who am I talking to?"  
  
"This is Tray Bradshaw, manager of the Jackson Construction Company. We have a little problem. And I was told it's in your field of expertise."  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't know how we could help you..."  
  
"The thing is...we've been working in an area built on what was thought to be an Indian burial ground, but never proven. We recently have been working in an area and found what is believed to be human remains. We were hoping that you and Mister Baily could come out and see what we've dug ourselves into."  
  
"I'm going to need to talk to Nigel first. Do you have any idea what tribe it may be?" "No. That's why we hoped you would come out. You recent find tells us a lot about how well the two of you work. You were just on a dig in Canada, weren't you?"  
  
"Yes. Northern Canada. I'll tell you what. Give me your phone number and I'll call you back when Nigel gets in." She took down the number and put it in a safe place, then hung up the phone. Turning back to her not so long forgotten screen, she heard the outside door slam. She quickly exited out of the site and went to greet whoever had come in.  
  
Nigel stood there over his desk, and laid his paper work from the night before. Noticing Sydney's shadow, he greeted he in a calm voice, "Morning, Syd. Sleep well?"  
  
She laughed knowing that that remark came from their conversation the night before. "Just fine, and you?" She said trying not to laugh.  
  
"Didn't. Spent most of the night lifting weights at home."  
  
"Really?" she said going over to him and feeling of his right upper arm. "Oh, Nigel. Getting buff there, aren't you?" she joked. Meaning it more than she realized. "Really. How are you?"  
  
"I'm alright. You know, it's good to know that there are people who care about you no matter how much you screw up."  
  
"You know I'm always there for you." she said hugging him. "You're always there for me during a hunt...speaking of hunts..." she said returning to her office and coming back out with the paper containing the number on it. "Right before you came, I had just got off the phone with...uh...Tray Bradshaw. Says he's the manager of the Jackson Construction Company. He says they've found some human remains at one site."  
  
"And how does this concern us?" Nigel asked intrigued with the story so far.  
  
"They believe they're Native American in origin. They've read about us finding the headdress and want us to come look at the remains."  
  
"And are we?" he questioned.  
  
"Do you want to?" she questioned back.  
  
"Why not? The last one turned out alright."  
  
"All right. I'll go make the arrangements."  
  
Karen had come in and started on the paper work for the hunt to come when Nigel got back from gathering more material on different tribes.  
  
"Afternoon, Nigel." Karen said from behind her computer. "Afternoon, Karen. How's your day going?"  
  
"Fine. Heard you and Sydney are heading off to Dallas."  
  
"Is that where we're going?" he asked honestly.  
  
"You mean you don't know where you're going? Nigel, that's not good."  
  
"I knew we were going somewhere, but I haven't talked to Sydney since this morning. I had meetings and research to do so I left before she told me where we are going."  
  
"That explains it. Nigel Baily always buried in books."  
  
"Thanks...now where's that bloody book?"  
  
"Careful the language, Nigel." Sydney reprimanded him as she came out of her office.  
  
"Look who's talkin', Syd."  
  
"Ouch, Nigel, that hurt. So did you hear where we're going?"  
  
"Dallas. Guess I'll have to pack my hat and cowboy boats then."  
  
"Do British people even have cowboy boats?" Karen asked jokingly.  
  
"Yes, but we don't sing karaoke." he answered back.  
  
"You two." Sydney said.  
  
"Well, when we leaving?"  
  
"Thursday. Our flight's at noon. It should only be about an hours ride. Karen's already made our reservation."  
  
"Good. I have a day and a half to get everything packed."  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
Thursday rolled around and Sydney and Nigel were leaving for the airport. They got there, loaded their bags, got to their seats and settled in for the ride. The typical Nigel, as soon as he sat down, pulled out his laptop and began reviewing hie data. Sydney turned to look at him. She noticed that though she knew he hadn't slept in ages, he looked refreshed and awake. Even more refreshed than she felt herself. There was no red stricks in his eyes, nor any dark circles under them. They were clear and bright; and full of life and energy. She wondered if her eyes had ever been that clear. She couldn't remember ever looking that deep into his eyes before. She never realized that her silent friend had so much to say or that he said it all through his eyes. Looking into those eyes she felt a sort of peace, but knew that there was a secret storm taking place behind that peace. She slowly turned away and sleep the rest of the flight out.  
  
When they arrived, their bags were being loaded into a cab that was to take them to their hotel. Their bags were taken to their rooms when they arrived at the hotel shortly after. They were given the keys to their rooms then returned to the cab. Sydney told the driver where they were to meet Tray and he headed in the direction of the construction site. When they reached the site, Nigel paid the driver and asked him to remain for a few moments. He quickly them followed Sydney to the main office building.  
  
"This must be it." she said knocking on the door.  
  
"Come." Came from the other side of the door where a man in his late twenty's was tied up on the other end of the phone. "Okay. We'll get back to you when we find out anything. Goodbye. Hi. Sorry about that. I'm Tray Bradshaw, and you..." he greeted them.  
  
"Sydney Fox. And this is my assistant Nigel Baily."  
  
"Hello." Nigel followed the greeting.  
  
"Well, it's nice to finally meet the both of you. I've heard a lot of good things."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"How was your flight? Tea?" he asked pouring himself a cup.  
  
"No. Thank you. Nigel?"  
  
"No. Thank you."  
  
"Fine. So, are you ready to look at the site now or do you need time to prepare?" Tray asked kindly.  
  
"Nige?"  
  
"We're ready here."  
  
"Okay. Well, then let's get started. You'll have to wear these." he said handing them each a hard hat. They left and headed towards the dig site. When they arrived the were greeted by some of the construction workers who were helping to clear away derby in the area. "Here's where we first noticed the remains." Tray said pointing to the nearest cliff.  
  
"Who was the first to spot the remains, Mr. Bradshaw?" Nigel asked.  
  
"Call me Tray. It was...Alec Deckhard. He was mapping the area when something caught his eye. Hey...Alec...Come here a sec." he yelled over the loud equipment. At command of hin boss, a large black man nearing his forties came up to them and greeted them with a massive handshake.  
  
"Howdy. Whatcha need, Tray?" he asked in a husky, strong voice that nearly echoed in the small area.  
  
"Alec, this is Professor Sydney Fox and Nigel Baily. They're here to look at the bones you found. They have a couple questions for you."  
  
"Sure. Go ahead."  
  
"Where exactly did you find the bones?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Right...about here." he answered leading them to an area not fat away from where they were now.  
  
"What did it look like?" Nigel asked.  
  
"Um...we put in up, but it looked kinda like a finger bone. Long and skinny."  
  
"We'll need a small sample of it to send to the lab. That way we can tell if it's Native American or not."  
  
"Right this way." Tray told Sydney and lead her towards a trailer a few feet away. While she did that, Nigel stayed and asked Alec more questions.  
  
"Did you or anyone else find anything else near or around it?"  
  
"Come to think of it, yes...one of the Younger boys found a piece of something. Looked like it was made of clay. Jimmy I think it was."  
  
"Do you know where he is at?"  
  
"Yeah. I just seen him around here. Follow me." Alec led Nigel through the dig site over to a group of men on break. "Guys, this is Nigel. He's here to look the remains."  
  
"You're with that hott women professor, aren't ya?" one of the men asked.  
  
"Yes. Sydney and I always work together." Nigel answered feeling annoyed and protective.  
  
"Have you boys seen Jimmy? Hey...Jack, where's your brother? Nigel, this is Jack, Jimmy's older brother."  
  
"Hi." "Hi." he said in a gruff voice that sounded tired and aged. "He's around here somewhere. That good for nothing...he was supposed to move crane number one, but he went to the john and hasn't returned."  
  
"Well, when you see hi send him my way."  
  
"I'll do just that. You folks have a nice day."  
  
"Guess I'd better get back with Sydney. See if she's found anything."  
  
"All right. This way." Alec said leading Nigel in the same direction Sydney and Tray had went. They reached the trailer and joined Sydney and Tray inside.  
  
"Anything, Nigel?"  
  
"Well, we need to talk to this...Jimmy..."  
  
"Younger."  
  
"Yeah. Jimmy Younger. He found something possibly made of clay." Nigel informed.  
  
"Is he here?"  
  
"No. His brother said he'd send him our way."  
  
"You might not get to talk to him 'til tomorrow." Tray implied.  
  
"Why?" Nigel and Sydney asked at the same time.  
  
"Jimmy Younger's a free spirit. A hard worker. Don't down him on that. He just lacks the discipline his brother has. Put them together, Son, what a team. Just like their daddy. Him and my dad started the company. It use to be called Bradshaw & Jackson Construction Company, but after Earl died my father decided to dedicate the company to him and changed the name to just Jackson Construction in memory of him." Tray explained.  
  
"They must have been close." Nigel commented.  
  
"They grew up together. Took care of each other and their families when both their fathers went off to war. When grandpa never returned, Earl Jackson's father took in my grandma and her son."  
  
"Your dad." Sydney guessed.  
  
"Right."  
  
"There's a lot of history between you families."Nigel added. "You and the Younger boys must be close."  
  
"Me and Jimmy were. Still are pretty close."  
  
"You and Jack not close?" Sydney questioned.  
  
"Age difference. Mainly. He thought that when me dad retired, he would be put in charge of the business."  
  
"But you were." Sydney suggested.  
  
"And he wasn't too happy with that." Nigel added.  
  
"You guys catch on fast. He's been sore with me since, but we get along."  
  
"Well, we had better get this to a lab before it closes. We'll find out what we have and get back to you tomorrow."  
  
"Sounds good. You folks have a goodnight."  
  
"The same to you." Sydney said as they made their way back to the cab.  
  
Once they were back at their hotel, Nigel set up his computer in his room. Meanwhile, in Sydney's room she called for a rental and the number of the nearest DNA lab. When she finished on the phone, she walked across into Nigel's room to see what he was up to.  
  
"So did you notice anything peculiar about the story they told us?"  
  
"What?" he asked knowing she had found something strange.  
  
"Jimmy and Jack both have the last name Younger. Their dad's last name is Jackson."  
  
"So. They could have changed it for some reason."  
  
"You don't find that weird?"  
  
"No. Not really. Lots of people change their names. Maybe they're two of them."  
  
"Okay. So. Want to go to the DNA lab with me?" she asked resting her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"No. I think I might stay here and try to find out more on our construction site."  
  
"Alright. I'll catch ya later."  
  
"See ya, Syd." Once she left, he realized the weight of her hand was gone and he missed it.  
  
Their rental blazer, an older model Chevy suburban, was waiting for her in front. She found the DNA lab using the directions the desk attendant gave her. When she arrived, she led herself through the series of hallways that remained a bright, crimson red. After wondering around awhile, she finally found the room in she was suppose to meet her contact. And older man nearing hi sixties. Suppose to be the best in his field in town. Gray and wrinkled, Doctor John Wietoff was a charming, handsome man by Sydney's standards.  
  
"Hello. You must be Sydney Fox. You're even lovelier then they say." greeted the kind, old man.  
  
"Oh, well...thank you. That's too kind. You must be Doctor Wietoff. I've heard a lot of great things about you." Sydney commented.  
  
"Nonsense. So, how my I help you, my dear?"  
  
"I was wondering...we found this piece of bone and we were hoping that you could tell us something about it. Like whether it's human and what nationality it is."  
  
"Sure, but why?"  
  
"The bone fragment was found at a construction site. That site has history of first being an Indian burial ground. We're making sure there's no artifacts before they finish."  
  
"Okay. Who's 'we'?" he asked to make sure Sydney was still on guard.  
  
"We?" she repeated. "That would be me and my assistant Nigel."  
  
"Ah." Dr. Wietoff sighed. "How long have the two of you been working together?"  
  
"Close to four years." Sydney replied in a happy tone. Smiling at the thought of how long her friendship with him had lasted.  
  
"That's a long time. Are you real close?" he asked softly while running test on the bone specimen.  
  
Sydney stood there awhile. Thinking of how to answer the question. She knew that they were close, but just how close? Slowly she found the way to answer. "He's saved my life I don't know how many times. He's always there when I need him. He never complains about how hard this job is..."  
  
"But are you close?" he interrupted.  
  
"Uh...well...we never...really spend that much time together outside of work. That's...mostly my fault. I guess."  
  
"You don't know?" he smiled softly at her over his glasses.  
  
"I'm not one to trust easy, Dr. Wietoff. Never have been. Too many times in this job, someone I've trusted has stabbed me in the back."  
  
"And has Nigel ever..."  
  
"No!" she nearly screamed. "No. He's the one thing in my life that never changes. Not that he doesn't have a life, it's just...he's the only person I've ever truly trusted. He's always been true to me. I don't know what I'd do without him."  
  
"That sounds like he's more then just a good assistant." he hinted.  
  
"I've had good assistants before. There's just something about him...like..."  
  
"Like you can be you. He knows all your faults and accepts them."  
  
"Yeah. Most guys, when they look at me...they see a nice body. Nigel...sees everything including that."  
  
"The bigger picture."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Well, I'll tell you this...Don't lose that boy. If you do, you'll regret it." he said getting back the final test results and handing them to Sydney.  
  
"I'm afraid I might be losing already."  
  
"Why?" Dr. Wietoff asked concerned.  
  
"He hasn't had hardly any sleep for almost three weeks. I'm starting to really worry about him."  
  
"How many hours has he slept?"  
  
"About four and a half."  
  
"He needs to see a doctor."  
  
"That's what I told him." she nearly screamed.  
  
"When you get home, make him go. Even if you drag hin there kicking and screaming. Well, it's late. My wife is expecting me." "Thank you so much. You have a wonderful evening." she said as she headed back out to the blazer.  
  
"Remember what I told you. Don't lose him. And it you need anything else...call."  
  
"I'll remember that. Thank you!" she said through the car window and drove off. On the ride home she considered what the wise, old man had said and convinced herself that they needed to spend more time together.  
  
When she arrived back at the hotel, she took the test results into her room. She then went to check on Nigel. She walked into his room and called for him. No answer came. 'Well, where could he be?' she asked herself. Wanting to answer that question, she went to the front desk to ask.  
  
"He's in the gym." the clerk answered.  
  
"Where's that?"  
  
"Down in the basement. Just take the elevator . You'll find him there."  
  
"Thanks." 'Now why would he be in the gym?' she asked herself realizing this is the most she had asked herself for a while. 'Probably to "stay active."'  
  
She reached the basement and entered the gym. Looking around the room, she found him in a far, dimly lit corner pressing weights.  
  
"Hey, killer. How's your evening been?" she asked hitting her knee against his.  
  
"Oh...Sydney. I didn't hear you come in." he replied sitting up from his last press. "Have a seat." he gestured patting the bench next to him. She handed him a towel and sat down next to him noticing the dark sweat pants and gray muscle shirt that showed the effects of his late nights working out. "Man, Nigel, you're really getting into shape. Not that you weren't before. It's just that..."  
  
"It's okay. No offense."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah." he said nudging her with his bare elbow. "So, how did your evening go?"  
  
"Not bad actually. Dr. Wietoff is a sweet, old man. I got the test results. He said if we need him, ask."  
  
"Want to have a go"he asked jokingly with a devilish smile on his face. "I'll spot ya."  
  
"Sure." she said looking straight into his eyes as she moved to a comfortable spot on the bench. When he got behind her, she began to lift the bar.  
  
"Easy." he commented. She enjoyed this view. By him standing right over her, she could look up and stare him squarely in the face. Once or twice, instead of letting the bar come down as she pulled, he would hold it back and make her work harder.  
  
"Stop that." she commanded trying not to burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" he would tease and do it again.  
  
"You're holding the bar. Stop!"  
  
He just laughed and lifted the bar back into place. He walked around in front of her and sat down on the bench straddling it between his legs. He was concentrating on her eyes and the warmth he had noticed lately being directed towards him when she spoke. "So, how are you doing, Nigel? Nay sleep?" she asked rubbing his hand.  
  
"None. It seems like I have to be more active now. It's...um...kinda starting to...scare me a little. Whenever I'm not doing anything, when I'm just still, my whole body hurts all over."  
  
"That is scary, Nigel. I'm right here when you need me."  
  
"I know." he said stroking her check. "You always are."  
  
Immediately her hand went to his. Thinking he did something wrong, he quickly removed it. He so wanted to let her in and open up to her, but he knew she wasn't ready to do the same. He could wait.  
  
"Well, it's late." he said looking down. "You need your sleep. Shall we then?" he held out his arm and grabbed his towel and water bottle. She took his arm and walked with him back to the elevator and to their rooms. They reached their separate rooms and ended the night.  
  
"Well, good night, Sydney." he said softly squeezing her hand secretly wanting to do more.  
  
"'Night, Nigel. If you need anything..."  
  
"You, too."  
  
She started to turn to go then paused. Without thinking, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She preceded into her room shutting the door behind her. His hand went to where her lips meet the skin and he blushed. Clearing his head, he turned and went into his room and got ready for the night ahead. A quick shower and soon he hit the pillow.  
  
Latter the night, he felt restless. Not knowing why, he automatically got up and went to check on Sydney. Trying the door and finding it unlocked, he let himself in. It was dark, but he could see well enough that Sydney wasn't having a peaceful night. All of a sudden she started moaning and calling out. He rushed to her side and she woke.  
  
"Nigel?...Nigel, what are you doing here?" she asked confused.  
  
"Something told me to come check on you." he answered wrapping his arms around her shoulder.  
  
"What?" she asked even more confused.  
  
"I don't know. I was just sitting there, and felt I needed to see if you were okay. Are you?" he asked looking down at the small women in his arms.  
  
"I was just having a bad dream was all. It was too real to talk about." she said patting his shoulder.  
  
"Okay, well, I'll go and let you sleep." he said starting to turn for the door.  
  
"No!" she screamed and grabbed his hand. "Stay here." It sounded more like a request. "At least until I fall asleep."  
  
"Okay." he said as she moved over. He scooted in next to her and laid not too far from the edge. Knowing he had settled in, she moved back over until she was right up against him leaving him no choice but to wrap his arms around her. "Much better. You comfy?"  
  
"Just fine." he assured her pulling the cover over both of them. He was enjoying this more than she knew and was glad she had wanted him to stay. Soon, nuzzled close to him with all the warmth of his body, she fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, Sydney awoke still feeling the warmth from Nigel's body. She turned and looked at him right in the face. His eyes were closed, but she could tell he hadn't gotten any sleep. There was a warm, peaceful look on his smooth, soft face. He looked relaxed. Like he had slept better that night than ever before. She didn't want either of them to move, but she felt him starting to stir. He raised his hand, rubbed his eyes then returned them to where they had rested around her waist. He looked down and saw her staring up at him.  
  
"Morning." he said smiling. "How did the rest of the night go?"  
  
"Just fine." she answered, smiling just as wide. "Better than normal. How about you? Did you sleep any?"  
  
"No." he answered calmly.  
  
"Your eyes were closed when I woke up." she said turning to face him. Her face buried in his chest, she took in the sweet, clean smell of his shower the night before. "What did you do all night? I thought you said resting made you hurt."  
  
"It does." he said dropping the subject. "I just laid here and held you. Once or twice I moved the hair out of your face." he explained.  
  
"Nigel, you're too good to me." she said nuzzling her face deeper in his chest.  
  
'Man, Nigel, you bloody fool. Why don't you just tell her? What's she going to do about it? I said give it a week. Then it will go away, but it's been two or three weeks. I'll wait until this hunt is over then tell her.' he fought back and forth with himself.  
  
"Well, if we plan to get any thing done today, we need to get up and moving." he hated stating the truth.  
  
"I know. I just want to stay here and rest. This is the most relaxed I've been in forever."  
  
"Well, I'm glad." he said in his soft, British accent. "But..."  
  
"I know." she moaned.  
  
He began to slowly sit up, her arms falling to his waist. With is right arm still a round her waist, he pulled the covers off of them. Though he wanted to stay there nuzzled up as much as she did, no matter how bad he felt, he knew they had to get to work. She knew that, too. But she so desperately wanted to stay there. There was a comfort being this close to him. Something she hardly ever felt. "You're right." she moaned again sitting up next to him. Her arm had fallen to wrap around his and she laid her head on his shoulder. She knew that by him laying there next to her all night, not being active, hurt him. unconsciously, she thought that by being close to him, she could take away some of that pain he felt. She sat there a few seconds longer then started to stand. Noticing this, Nigel stood and helped her up.  
  
Taking her by the hand, he lead her over to the closet, finally noticing what she was wearing. A short, lace night gown that barely reached an inch or two above her knees. To him, she was more beautiful than the sun and all the stars. Where as, himself, was wearing an old pair of jogging pants and a shirt similar to the one he was working out in. He left her and headed back to his own room. He got out of the shower, got dressed and joined Sydney in the main lobby.  
  
"So, you ready?" she asked leading him to the blazer.  
  
"Yep. Back to the construction site." he answered walking around and settled into the passenger seat.  
  
Tray was the first to greet them when Nigel and Sydney arrived at the construction site later that morning. As they walked to where the bones were found, Sydney explained the results of the test. "So they are native American?"  
  
"Yes..." she answered and went on to explain. When she finished, Tray informed them of the new find.  
  
"Are you serious? Caves?" Sydney asked surprised at what she was just told.  
  
"Yes! Caves!" Tray explained as he lead the way.  
  
When they reached the caves, Alec and Jimmy greeted them, handing them flashlights and hard hats then lead them into the caves. The cave ran about forty feet in length twisting and turning, then dropping another ten feet to another twelve feet of twist and turns ending up in a small room area. Once they stepped into the room, Nigel and Sydney both spotted the huge door on the opposite side.  
  
"Nigel,..."  
  
"I see it."  
  
"How are we going to get through it?" Sydney asked. Eyes wide and mouth gapping at the sight of the large metal door.  
  
"I don't know. We're going to need time to translate what it says."  
  
"Are any of your men working down here, Tray? How did whoever find it?"  
  
"Miss," Jimmy confessed coming from behind Alec. "I found it. I was setting charges in the walls. When one of them went off, it uncovered this."  
  
"And who are you?" Sydney asked realizing she hadn't meet this man before.  
  
"Jimmy. Jimmy Younger. I was suppose to show you this piece of clay I found."  
  
"Yes. Jimmy. Do you still have it?"  
  
"Yeah! Right here." the young, blonde man in his early twenty's stated as he pulled a necklace made of leather with a piece of broken clay on it from under his shirt.  
  
"Did you...?" Sydney started to question.  
  
"Oh...no." he said noting what she was thinking. "There was already a hole. I just put it on a string so I wouldn't lose it."  
  
"Good idea." she said taking it as he offered. "Hey, Nigel, look at this."  
  
"What?" he asked moving closer to her to see.  
  
"It's not broken. It's cut this way."  
  
"What for?" Nigel asked. The two of them completely engrossed in the small, brown object. The long forgotten others tried to follow along, but ended up giving up on understanding what the two were saying.  
  
Both Nigel and Sydney stood there awhile looking at the small object on the end of leather. All of a sudden, Nigel screamed: "A key!"  
  
"What?" came from every voice in the room.  
  
"A key! Like to a door!" Sydney screamed.  
  
"A key! Yes! A key! It makes sense! That's why it's cut funny! It needs to be placed a certain way to open a door."  
  
"A key?"Alec replied. "That means that there's a door somewhere around this site..."  
  
"Why can't it be this door?" Jimmy asked pointing at the large, metal door behind Sydney.  
  
"Everyone, shine your lights over here. Let's look at the door. See if you can feel any grooves or missing places in the wall." With that Jimmy, Alec, and Tray helped Nigel and Sydney look over the door.  
  
It wasn't much longer after they had started when Tray screamed: "I got something!" They all turned to look where Tray was shining his light. Sydney tried the piece in place.  
  
"It doesn't fit." she stated in disappointment.  
  
"Wait, Syd. Look at this. There's a symbol on the key. The symbol here doesn't match. Wait...remember in Canada...the four or five symbols?"  
  
"Yeah. Only three symbols stood for something."  
  
"Right. The rest were dummies. What if this door is a dummy? What if there's another door that doesn't look like a door?"  
  
"Anybody else not follow that?" Alec asked.  
  
"It's simple..." Nigel explained how they had located the headdress to the rest. When he finished, everyone began combing over the entrance area.  
  
About an hour later, they finally came across a small crevice near the back of the room. "It fits. Let's see what's inside." Sydney said as she turned the key. The wall slide back to reveal a dark room filled with a rotted, decay smell. Tray and Jimmy held their flashlights so that everyone could see. The inside was filled with many sacred items and bodies. Sydney made a call to Dr. Wietoff, who sent a team to help properly remove the bodies from the site.  
  
Sydney, Nigel, and the team of movers worked all afternoon and long into the evening removing bodies and artifacts. In total body count, there was thirty to forty bodies by the time the workers had cleared out the room. All were exhausted by the time nine o'clock rolled around. Nigel was ready to spend the rest of the night when he instinctively looked at Sydney. She was constantly rubbing her arms and shoulders as if they were giving her trouble by not doing what was asked of them. Her eyes were tired and heavy. He knew that soon her energy level would brake, and she would need to rest. Knowing she would not stop everyone on her own especially since she wanted to figure out all of the hunt, he wiped his hands and said, "Well, we've had a good run today. Why don't we all go home and rest. Then hit again tomorrow? Alright? Everyone have a wonderful night. Great job. And get lots of rest."  
  
"Speak for yourself." Sydney said as he finished dismissing them.  
  
"Sydney, it's not me I'm worried about. It's you. Here. Sit down, Syd." he said pulling over a old folding chair and offering it to her. "Sydney, you've worked too hard today. Just sit and relax." he commanded moving behind her and putting his soft, warm hands on her shoulders. Gently he started rubbing them. Real light at first, then deeper as he noticed her starting to relax. They stayed there awhile in the small room. Nigel rubbing her shoulders, Sydney, every now and then, rubbing his hands to make sure they didn't start hurting.  
  
Time passed quickly and soon: "Oh my goss!" Sydney cried looking down at her watch.  
  
"What? What is it?" Nigel asked confused.  
  
"It's almost midnight!"  
  
"You're kidding?" he stated looking at her watch. "What time did I dismiss everyone? Nine?"  
  
"Yeah!" she said laughing. "We've been down here doing nothing for almost four hours."  
  
"Well, I think..." Nigel stated trying to breath through his laughter. "...we should be heading home. Otherwise, people will wonder why we're still down here in the same cloths." he gave her a twisted smile then laughed.  
  
"Very true." she said putting back the folding chair.  
  
"Shall we?" Nigel asked holding out his arm to her. They started up the stairs when all of a sudden the ground started to shake. Nigel and Sydney both went to the floor.  
  
"What's going on? Nigel, is that an earthquake." "No! It's coming from the surface! Sydney! Watch out!" he screamed as he jumped and covered her from a large boulder from hitting her. The shaking stopped. Sydney pulled herself out of the rubble. She looked around trying to find Nigel. She spotted his hand sticking out from under a pile of large rocks.  
  
"Nigel!" she quickly rushed over and started pulling them off of him. She got all of the larger ones off except one that was laying on top of his arm. Afraid to move him in fear he had a broken neck, she checked his pulse and tried to slowly wake him. Keeping his head steady, she softly patted him on the cheek. "Nigel. Nigel, wake up. I need to get you out of here. Nigel, can you here me?"  
  
"Sydney?" he said very groggy. "Sydney, what happened?" he tried getting up, but she held him in place.  
  
"Easy, Nigel. Do you remember what happened?"  
  
"I think so. We were walking out. There was an explosion or something. A large rock was coming close to you. I jumped, pushed you, then woke up here."  
  
"Okay. Can you feel your legs? Does your back hurt?"  
  
"I...I can feel my legs...and ...my back....hurts...a little. My...arm...it hurts." he spoke slowly catching his breathe through the pain.  
  
"Okay. Can you move your head?"  
  
"Yeah." he answered moving his head to prove what he said.  
  
"Alright. Just stay here. I'm going to go see if the way out has been blocked. Just stay calm."  
  
"Be careful, Sydney." he said concerned more for her safety than how he felt. Sydney her way up the stairs. At the top, she noticed the other flight of stairs completely blocked off. She turned around and went back to Nigel.  
  
"What's the damage?" he ask jokingly trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"The first staircase is completely blocked off. I don't know how we're going to get out." she stated wiping away the sweat from her brow.  
  
"Hey...hey. It's alright." he said reaching over and taking her hand in his. "It will be all right. We've made it out of worse."  
  
She smiled at him, and moved down beside him. He reached around and put his left arm on her shoulder. She laid her head on his chest, hoping not to hurt him. "Why is it, Nigel...that whenever we're in a situation like this...no matter how hurt you are...you always make me feel better?" Nigel paused for a moment.  
  
"I didn't know I did that, Sydney." Nigel stated confused at this confession, but somewhat hopeful that they were growing closer.  
  
"Um...so. We need to get you out of here. Do you think you can walk?" she asked finally getting the large boulder off his arm.  
  
"Yeah. I may need to lean on you."  
  
"That's fine." she said putting his arm around her shoulders and her arm around his waist grabbing him by the belt loop. She helped him up the stairs, then looked around for another way out. In the corner of the room, there was a small light braking through. Sydney moved to see where it was coming from when some of the smaller rocks around it fell out.  
  
"Nigel, I think this may be another set of stairs." she started pulling out larger rocks until she had cleared the pathway. "Here." she said assisting him up into the stairs. They made their way up and when they had reached the surface, noticed that they were only about twenty feet from where they had parked. There were fresh tire tracks that led to the front of the cave. After setting Nigel in a chair near the lunch tables, Sydney went and looked for any clues as to what had happened. When she returned, what she had in her hand surprised Nigel.  
  
"Dynamite? Who would want to blow up the caves?" Nigel asked.  
  
"Someone who doesn't want something exposed."  
  
"But who? No one has anything to hide. Unless. You were saying how Jack and Jimmy have a different last name than their father."  
  
"And from what Alec and Tray were saying, Jack thought that he would be running the company, not Tray." Sydney added in.  
  
"And Jimmy has access to explosives."  
  
"But...what would Jimmy have to gain? If his older brother takes over the company his kids will take over when he dies or retires."  
  
"Right." Sydney said as she continued to look around. Glancing a shadow out of the corner of her eye the didn't match Nigel's shape. She turned just in time to see someone pull the trigger of a gun. The sound stopped. The night stood still. Nigel was falling out of his chair. The shooter was starting to flee. Sydney ran after him, but was only able to knock the gun from his hand. She ran back to Nigel, grabbed him in her arms, and pulled him into the blazer. She threw the gun in the back seat, strapped Nigel in her arms, and pulled him in, and drove off to the nearest hospital tem minutes away.  
  
Trying to keep him calm, Sydney kept her hand on Nigel's shoulder making sure he alive, gently stroking his face. Speaking softly to him she said, "Nigel, hold on. I'm going to get you to the hospital. You're going to be alright. Don't give up on me. Hello," she said to the person on the other end of her cell phone that she was trying to hold and drive with in the same hand. "This is Professor Sydney Fox. My partner, Nigel Baily, has been shot. I'm driving him to the hospital right now. He's bleeding really bad...No...I don't know where he's hit. No...the shooter had a mask on...I was able to get the gun away before he ran. Okay...I'm here. The black blazer." she hung up the phone as soon as the medics reached the blazer.  
  
She tried to keep a hold of his hand, but they wouldn't let her back in the ER. After she had filled out the papers she went to find someplace to clear her head. She walked to the end of the hall and entered the room on her left.  
  
A few minutes later, a familiar voice broke the silence that was filling up around Sydney. "Dr. Wietoff. What are you doing here?" she asked trying to hide the tear stains on her cheeks.  
  
"I heard your friend's name mentioned and worried that both of you were hurt. What happened?" he asked softly, giving her a tissue.  
  
"We were at the site. Everyone had gone home. We had just been talking, and relaxing," she managed so far remembering back to those moments of happiness. "He had give me a neck rub. When we started to leave, an explosion near the surface went off. He pushed me out of the way and a...a bunch of boulders fell on top of him. When we finally got out, I was looking for clues at the entrance when I turned to see someone pull the trigger of a gun pointing at him, and..."  
  
"Oh, dear God." the old doctor cried. "Have they told you anything?"  
  
"No! They won't even let me see him. I...I need to go somewhere. Will you call me if they say anything?"  
  
"Yes, but where are you going?"  
  
"I have something I need to take care of." she answered walking out.  
  
"Sydney, don't do anything stupid." he advised.  
  
"You don't know me that well." she stated as she continued walking out of the chapel.  
  
Ten minutes later, she arrived back at the construction site. Everyone was there waiting. She parked her car near the trailer and went in.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know this is late. I'm sorry to get you all out of bed, but I need to inform you on something before you catch any rumors."  
  
"Hey, Sydney, where's Nigel?" Alec asked. "Nigel,..." she started to tear up again. "Nigel is...lying in a bed at the hospital with doctors trying to get a bullet out of his chest." Sydney explained still fighting back the tears that wanted to fall.  
  
"What?!" Tray asked completely taken aback by this. "Who shot him? Why?"  
  
"I didn't see his face. He had a mask. As to why, I don't know. All I can think of is someone who knows about the room and the caves. Someone who has access to explosives."  
  
"Wait. What about explosives?" Jack recovered.  
  
"Before Nigel was shot, we were still in the caves and there was an explosion."  
  
"Why were you guys still in the caves?" Jack questioned suspiciously staring at Sydney.  
  
"We were talking that's all."  
  
"Are you sure?" Jack pressed on.  
  
"My neck was sore so he gave me a neck rub." Sydney explained, feeling like she was being judged.  
  
"It took four hours for him to give you a neck rub?"  
  
"We took turns. He would rub my neck and...when his hands started hurting...I'd rub them." she felt more and more interrogated.  
  
"I don't think that's the important thing here, Jack." Alec said coming to her rescue.  
  
"I agree." Tray joined in. "What's important is trying to find who tried to kill Nigel."  
  
"What if..." Jimmy started, "the shooter wasn't trying to kill Nigel? What if he was there just to blow up the place?"  
  
"Jimmy, do you know anything about this? You're asking a lot of questions that sound more accusing than curious." Sydney implied.  
  
"Accusing? Myself?"  
  
"I never said 'yourself'. I just said 'accusing'."  
  
"Why would you think she was accusing you, Jimmy?" Tray asked.  
  
"I don't know. She said someone with access to explosives. Everyone knows I set the charges."  
  
"I never accused you, Jimmy. I'm sorry if it sounded that way. I'm just...really emotional right now. I just want to find who did this." she said almost apologizingly when she noticed something. "Jack, why do you keep rubbing your back right there?"  
  
"What's that got anything to do with Nigel?" Tray questioned.  
  
"I burnt myself today on a piece of iron. Why?" Jack growled.  
  
"'Cause tonight I kicked the shooter right there when I knocked the gun out of his hands."  
  
"And you think Jack shot Nigel?" Alec asked.  
  
"Can he prove it wasn't him? Can he show us where he got burnt?" Sydney shouted starting to get out of control. "I know he thought once Tray's dad retired he would be the one in charge."  
  
"Now wait just a minute. You want proof. I'll give you proof." Jack raised his shirt up all the way over his shoulder revealing a large burnt area of skin the size of a small basketball. "There's your proof. I never shot nobody. Let's go, Jimmy." he said while he pulled his shirt down and walked away.  
  
"Sydney, calm down. You're getting too emotional. You're not thinking straight. How about you let me drive you back to the hospital?"  
  
"No. Thank you. I want to go alone." With that she left the trailer and headed back to the hospital.  
  
When she arrived at the hospital, she went straight to the front desk and asked about Nigel.  
  
"He's in Room 224. Right down that hall. On your left."  
  
"Thank you." she replied to the kind nurse hoping she didn't look too bad since her eyes felt redder than a beat. She walked he hallway, looking at every number. Nigel's room was the very last on the left. She slowly opened the door and walked in. He was laying in the bed next to the window. She laid her purse and jacket on the unoccupied bed and went to his side. Looking down at him, he looked so young. His eyes were closed and his lips had regained their warm, rose color. His dark bangs had fallen in front of his eyes. She knew he wouldn't care since he was asleep, but she pushed them back with the rest of his soft mane. She didn't know why it had taken her all this time to realize what a handsome man he really was. She had always known he was good looking, but she just never knew how good looking. Lying there, in the hospital, he seemed so innocent. She softly stroked his cheek, running her fingers from his forehead to his chin.  
  
He looked so amazingly young. 'To die this young.' she thought. 'No!' she scolded herself. 'He's not going to die! You won't let him.' "Nigel, if you die on me, I'll kill you." she finally spoke out loud. "Goss, Nigel, why did you have to be such a good assistant? Why did you have to go from a good assistant to the only guy I trust?" She started crying again. By this time she had taken his hand in hers and was squeezing in tightly. "Why did I have to go and start caring for you? Why? Why can't I see my life without you?"  
  
"Do you mean it, Syd?" Nigel asked slowly opening his eyes.  
  
"Nigel! You're awake! Oh, thank God. Are you okay? Do you feel better?"  
  
"Sydney, Sydney, slow down." he said taking his hand back and cupping it around her cheek. "Did you mean what you said? About not seeing your life without me?" he repeated the question.  
  
A little unsure on how to answer she tried to skirt around the truth. "Um...you've just made my life so much...easier. I really depend on you."  
  
"Okay, Sydney. When you're ready." he said calmly turning away.  
  
"Ready? Ready for what?" Sydney asked confused.  
  
"Goodnight, Sydney." With that, he closed his eyes and said nothing more.  
  
Not knowing what to do, she pat him on the shoulder, grabbed her stuff and walked out. When she reached the rental and got in, and started the engine. Then she began to cry harder than she ever remembered crying before. She threw her hands over her face, when she noticed the song playing on the radio. It was a slow, soft song. Listening to the words, she began to wonder why she never realized what she had.  
  
Now the greatest reward is the light in your eyes. The sound of you voice and the touch of your hand You made me who I am.  
  
"Why?! Why?! Why?! Can't I tell him how I really feel? Goss, Sydney, you're stronger than this! Why is it you can't tell someone how you feel?"  
  
So suddenly it's clear to me. Things change. Our future lies here and now. We made it through some how.  
  
After the song had ended, still crying, she turned off the engine and then she curled up in the front seat and cried herself to sleep.  
  
The next morning, when Sydney returned to Nigel's room, he wasn't there. She had brought him a change of cloths and put them in the closet, then sat down to wait until he returned.  
  
A few minutes later, a nurse walked in. "Ma'am, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm waiting for Nigel Baily to get back."  
  
"Oh, who are you?" the nurse asked.  
  
"I'm Sydney Fox. Nigel's boss."  
  
"You haven't heard. Early this morning Mr. Baily went into cardiac arrest."  
  
"What?!" Sydney screamed.  
  
"They said that there was too much stress on his heart."  
  
"What could cause that?" Sydney asked scared to death.  
  
"Anything. A fight with a family member or friend. A kiss from a very attractive women." she said scanning over Sydney.  
  
"Do you know how he's doing?" she said ignoring the look given her.  
  
"They're still working on him. You can stay in here and wait. It shouldn't be much longer."  
  
"Thank you.'  
  
Sydney waited there, in the room, with no one to talk to, nothing to do. She decided to get his cloths ready for whenever he would be released. Not knowing which bag contained his cloths she had brought both and guessed, grabbing the right one. Inside she found a nice casual shirt and jeans, laid them in the drawer next to her. Thinking that it might be hard to pull on a shirt with a bullet hole in your chest, she replaced the casual shirt with a green flannel button down shirt. She placed his socks in the drawer next to his deodorant and cologne. When she went to zip the bag closed, she noticed a piece of paper in the bottom. She pulled it out to reveal a picture of herself and Nigel standing together, dressed up nice, at what appeared to be a party of some sorts. She turned it over trying to find a date. The date on the back wasn't too long after they had first started working together. 'I can't believe he's had this that long.' she thought to herself. 'I don't know if I even own a picture of us together.' That thought worried her, causing her to put the picture back in the bag. The nurse came back in and offered Sydney a cup of coffee. She welcomed it gratefully.  
  
It felt like an eternity until the doctor returned to tell Sydney the news.  
  
"Are you Mr. Baily's wife?" the doctor asked kindly mistaken.  
  
"No. I'm his boss." Sydney smiled unconsciously at the thought.  
  
"I'm sorry. Yes, I see here. Single. Are you the closet person here?"  
  
"Yes. His family is in England."  
  
"Well, that is awfully far away."  
  
"How's he doing, doctor?" she asked growing impatient. "I'm sorry. I'm just really worried."  
  
"I understand." he said sitting back down on the bed in front of her. "Well, as you've heard he went into cardiac arrest. We took him back. We didn't have to cut him open thankfully. So there won't be any scars."  
  
"Well, that's good." Sydney said trying to keep her own heart beating.  
  
"We inserted a microscope and looked around his heart. What surprised us is that his heart is exceptionally strong. There's nothing wrong with it at all. That got us looking into other options. Through some test we found out that he hasn't been getting any sleep. Have you noticed this, Miss Fox?"  
  
"Yes. About three weeks ago, before we prepared for a hunt, I asked him what was wrong, why was he acting so strange. He told me that he must not have gotten enough sleep. When the hunt was over, he seemed to have gotten more sleep because he was more active." she explained on. "Then he started getting to where all he did was run around. I asked him how he was doing, and he told me he hadn't slept since before we left Canada."  
  
"And that was over three weeks ago? And how much sleep did he get while you were in Canada?" the doctor asked while writing something down.  
  
"About four and a half hours." she answered hoping she hadn't just broke his trust.  
  
"Four and a half hours in over three weeks. I know why he went into arrest. The shock of his body getting so much forced on sleep in a small period of time was too much compared to what he's been used to. He is doing fine. He will be able to leave when your hunt is over. Which I'm guessing isn't too much longer. He's going to need someone to stay with him or stay with so they can monitor him and change the bandages."  
  
"I could do that. How ling would he need to stay?"  
  
"About a week.. Maybe more, maybe less. Have his personal doctor look at it when you get back. Okay, do you have any kind of medical training?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." she answered with confidence.  
  
"Good. I'm sure you'll take good care of him. He can go to work, but he can't do anything strenuous for awhile. You'll need to change the bandages once in the morning, in the afternoon, and once in the evening. That sounds like a lot, but we want to be careful. His doctor might say differently. They'll be bringing him back shortly."  
  
"Thank you, doctor."  
  
"Don't worry." he said walking out into the hallway.  
  
Just a few minutes after he had left, a nurse and two men rolled Nigel in and lifted him unto the bed. They hooked him up to the monitors and left. Not knowing what to do, Sydney sat there holding his hand in hers once again. A few seconds later, a nurse called her to the front desk to answer a phone call. When she returned, she noticed that he had shifted himself in bed. She walked over and laid her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Nigel, are you awake?"  
  
"Sydney? Why didn't you come back? I thought you was mad."  
  
"I was, but not at you. At myself. I went out to the car and fell asleep. The next morning, I went and got you a change of clothes."  
  
"How sweet." he said starting to reach up to her.  
  
"Shh." she said softly holding him down. "When I returned, you weren't here. They...they said that...you had..." she started to cry again.  
  
"Easy, Syd. I had what?" he cautioned on.  
  
"Gone into cardiac arrest. They had to take you back into ER. They said you're fine now."  
  
"What caused me to do that?" he asked looking to her for guidance.  
  
"They said that since you hadn't been getting any sleep, all the forced sleep in a short amount of time shocked your system and over powered it. But...you're okay now." she cried again.  
  
"Sydney, stop. Why are you crying?" he softly stroked her cheek.  
  
"I thought I was going to lose you. I don't want to lose you."  
  
"It's okay. I'm here." he said as she laid her head on his chest. "Do they know who did it?" he asked.  
  
"Well, the guys are comin' into help me explain better..."  
  
"And to see how you are doing." They heard Tray cry. "How you doing, Nigel?"  
  
"I've been worse." he laughed glancing at Sydney.  
  
The others did the same, greeting and glancing.  
  
"What did the doctor say? When can you get out of here?" asked Alec.  
  
"They say he's ready to leave whenever the job is over. But he has to stay with me awhile until his wound heals." she turned he head in time to miss Jimmy mouth 'Good job.' to Nigel. He nearly blushed.  
  
"So someone explain to me who shot me and why."  
  
"Okay." Jimmy started, feeling it was his obligation to tell. "A guy that works with, I've known him for several years; we went to high school together, was telling me that this old chemical plant right beside us, where he use to work, would dump chemicals into the ground. He was in charge of dumping the chemicals, and knew it word got out it would destroy his plans.'  
  
"What does that have to do with the dig?" Nigel asked making sure his suspicions were true.  
  
"The barrels they dumped were ten feet away from the chamber site. He overheard you telling Sydney someone might be trying to hide something when he went to blow up the place."  
  
"So he blew it up to hide the chemicals."  
  
"Right."  
  
"That's all well and good. So where's the bodies and everything?"  
  
Sydney decided to take this question. "The artifacts are going to the museum here in Dallas, and the bodies are going to be reburied in a special place just outside the city."  
  
"Good. At least they'll be safe."  
  
"Okay. Well, we're going to go ahead and get out of here." Tray said shaking Nigel's hand.  
  
"Hey, we're hopin' to see you walking around before you leave." Jack said jokingly, repeating the handshake.  
  
"Hope you get to feelin' better." Jimmy wished and repeated the handshake as well.  
  
"Now, Sydney," Alec commanded, "you take good care of this boy."  
  
Sydney got up and hugged each of them after all had shook Nigel's hand.  
  
"We'll see you before you leave Texas." Tray called behind. "That's an interesting group."  
  
"Yeah, Nigel. It is." she said patting his hand. "I'm glad you're alright."  
  
"I'm just glad we'll be able to go home."  
  
"Me, too. It's getting late, you need to rest."  
  
"Are you leaving?" he asked sadly.  
  
"Not unless you want me to."  
  
"Great!" he exclaimed scooting over. "Here. Hop in." he said pulling back the covers.  
  
"Oh...I don't know if...we should."  
  
"It'll be fine." Nigel explained.  
  
Carefully Sydney slipped in beside him. He wrapped his right arm, which no longer hurt, around her. She laid her head on his chest and soon they both fell asleep.  
  
The next morning, when Sydney and Nigel woke, they received several looks from the nursing staff. Sydney went and dressed in the bathroom while Nigel changed beside his bed. When he finished, he hollered her out. "Here, could you help me?" he asked handing her the green shirt she had laid out for him. He moved closer to the edge and she slipped in behind him. Slowly she worked his arm closest to the wound through the sleeve, and carefully placed the other arm in. He started to try and button it, but had no success. She moved from her position behind him, and lightly fastened his shirt together, making eye contact and smiling the entire time. When she had finished, her hands went to rest in her lap, but were taken prisoner by Nigel's remaining hand. They sat there, holding hands, staring in each other's eyes, growing closer and closer 'til almost touching and then...  
  
"Are you ready to sign out...Mr. Baily?" a young nurse asked realizing she had just interrupted something.  
  
"Yes." he said clearly.  
  
"Okay. They're bringing a wheelchair now."  
  
"I'll go get the blazer." Sydney added walking out with a look of being caught spreading across her face. Nigel and the nurse never spoke. The wheelchair came, they helped him in and pushed him out to the car. Sydney was waiting, bags packed, with the passenger side door open. Nigel climbed in, and Sydney helped him buckle the seat belt. She closed the door, walked to the other side, and climbed in.  
  
"Well, where do you want to go?" she asked starting the engine.  
  
"We need to go tell the guys at the construction site goodbye." he answered then announced, "I think we should go pay our respects to the bodies."  
  
"You're right. It's on the way to the airport. I checked this morning."  
  
They drove out to the construction site, after Sydney said goodbye to Doctor Wietoff at the DNA lab. When they pulled up, Tray, Jack, Jimmy, and Alec greeted them with open arms.  
  
"We'll miss seeing you guys." Alec said hugging each.  
  
"Thank you for coming." Tray offered.  
  
"You guys keep in touch." Jack commanded.  
  
"Have a safe trip. Don't have too much fun." Jimmy joked.  
  
Everyone said their goodbyes, Nigel and Sydney got back in the blazer, and drove off. They had already gotten their bags at the hotel and booked a flight back home. Having time before take off, they went to the new burial site like they both had mentioned and agreed upon. Sydney pulled the blazer as close as she could, shut off the engine and helped Nigel out. Slowly they walked, her arm around his waist for support, stopping at every fresh grave. They got to the chief's grave where Sydney laid down a white rose as pure as snow as a sign of peace. They both stood in silence, heads bowed and eyes closed. Nigel silently whispered a prayer while Sydney listened respectfully.  
  
"Amen." he said finishing the prayer. They both turned and walked back to the blazer, neither speaking nor crying. The new burial grounds seemed the perfect place of reverence.  
  
They returned to the airport in time to turn in the keys to the rental, check their bags, and be seated. The flight home neither talked. Both still so caught up in the moments of the days before. After they had landed and received their bags, Sydney lead Nigel to her car, and loaded their bags. She wondered how he had gotten there beforehand and came to the conclusion in the form of a taxi cab. The ride to her place was still and quite. She lead him to her room, while carrying as many of their bags as she could. He, in turn, took the keys and unlocked the door. She had to make one last load to get the rest of their things. When she got back, Nigel had put on a pot of hot water and set out two cups; one with tea and one with coffee. She took her bags and threw its contents in the closet. Them carried his into the room and set them in the corner. She turned down the bed and got an extra set of sheets and another pillow, which she laid behind the couch.  
  
By the time she had finished doing this, the water was ready. He had poured both cups and was bringing in her cup. He handed it to her and then claimed his own. They sat across from each other; one in the chair, one on the couch. Neither had said anything since they had left the grave site. Nigel thought it was time to break the silence. "That's a nice spot for the new graves. Very peaceful, and so fitting."  
  
"Yeah. Can you believe how reverent it was there?"  
  
"It was pretty amazing." he said moving over to the couch. "Was I mistaken, but did I hear you saying a prayer?" he joked.  
  
"No. I was more or less repeating what you said." she confessed laughing at herself.  
  
"That's fine." he said laying his hand on her thigh.  
  
"Well, Nigel, it's getting late. And you've been on a good sleeping path. Tomorrow's Saturday. So we have the whole weekend." she got up and took their empty cups into the kitchen. When she returned to the living room, Nigel had taken the pillow and sheets and was starting to set the couch.  
  
"No you don't, Nigel! You're taking the bed." she grabbed him by the arm gently and dragged him into the bedroom. She left him there to change and threatened to fire him if he argued with her. She herself got ready for bed in the living room. She finished then went to check on him, determined to talk.  
  
"Come." he yelled and she opened the door. He was having difficulty getting his under shirt on. She helped him get it over his other arm. Then helped him pull it over his head.  
  
"Nigel, I need to talk to you." she said setting down on the edge of the bed. He sat down next to her closer to the night stand ready to listen. "When we were in the hospital, before you went into arrest, you said 'whenever you're ready' to me. I had no idea, or I just didn't want to face what it was you were talking about. When I ran out to the blazer, I cried myself to sleep when I realized I was trying to keep my true feelings from coming out. I did mean what I said. I can't see living without you. And if I'm going to fall for someone, I'm glad that I have you to fall on."  
  
"What are you trying to say, Sydney?" Nigel asked piecing together the events happening now and what had already happened.  
  
"I'm ready. I'm ready and I've already fallen...for you. When you almost died, Nigel, I didn't know how I was going to go on, or if I even could. I've never known a guy who was so sensitive and sweet, and ready to give his life for me than you. I love you, Nigel. And I'm opening up my life to you. You know everything about me dealing with work. Now it's time I let you in to my personal life.  
  
"Oh, Sydney." Nigel said almost speechless. "So many times I've wanted to hear that. I never thought it would come true. Sydney, I want to know everything about you and share everything with you. I love you. I always have, and I always will." He leaned in and kissed her. Then they both curled up in bed, awaiting their new adventures together. 


End file.
